It had been years since Stron had been this way. He hoped everything was still as he remembered.
“This is less crowded,” she said as they walked. Her voice seemed to echo, even though she hadn’t spoken too loudly.
The noise of the market area was already fading away, and the cave itself was quiet except for footfalls on the stone floor.
He kept her close as he checked again, to make sure they weren’t being followed. The few who were in the tunnel paid them no mind.
“They gone?” she whispered against his chest.
“Probably still looking for us,” he whispered softly.
“So where are we going?”
“Shh,” he whispered. He could hear footsteps behind them, and he casually guided her to the wall. He put one hand on the wall, pinning her between him and the rock.
She looked into his eyes, her lips parted, and he leaned down, his horn brushing against her head.
“We’re being followed,” he said. “Put your hand on my hip, inside the shirt fold.”
She did. Her finger grazed his skin.
He felt his heart race at the contact.
“Grab the?—”
“This,” she said, her hand hitting the hilt of the collapsed blade he wore.
She pulled it out and held it between them both.
That’s when their follower made his presence known.
Stron grabbed the blade from her, and spun, shielding Adryel from the attacker, and he came at them hard, swinging his own blade at Stron.
Stron blocked and shoved back.
The two went back and forth, until Stron got him against a cave wall.
The male was shorter, but he had something in his eyes, something that Stron hadn’t seen a long time.
He was a Believer.
One who believed hard in Kantenan doctrine. Exactly the ones who wouldn’t like another race of females in the world, mating with Kantenans and contaminating the bloodlines.
How had they known that Stron was down here?
“Who are you?—”
“Fo-Trima-Grona!” he chanted, and winced.
Stron pulled back. The words, old and meaningful, was a curse on him for daring to destroy the way of doctrine.
The male winced, and Stron knew what was next.
“Did you—” Adryel asked as he stared.
The Kantenan had stabbed himself with his own blade, and started shaking violently. Adryel jumped back, like the male was on fire.
“We have to go,” Stron said, guiding Adryel away.
